BALANCE & Roses

I realized early yesterday morning that I was feeling un-BALANCED in my life.  When I sat down for my Bible Study a few hours later, I discovered a scripture that helped me to see things in the right perspective.  In a modern translation of Psalm 119:109, the Psalmist cries out to the Lord declaring, “Even though my life hangs in the balance, I’ll keep following what you’ve taught me, no matter what.” (The Passion Translation)  So, in keeping with my train of thought that morning, I read that verse as saying: ”Even though my life is un-BALANCED right now, I’ll keep following what You’ve taught me in Your Word throughout my life… no matter what!” 

I had always seen Piper’s and my life like a Seesaw in the neighborhood playground.  I pictured Piper on one side and me on the other with Jesus balancing everything out in the middle.  When I got up to take the pooch out early yesterday morning though, I suddenly felt un-BALANCED on the Seesaw of life.  I could see that Jesus was still in the middle, but Piper’s end was vacant and pointing way up into the sky… while I was sitting on the ground on the other end of the beam!

As I meditated on what I felt that the Lord was trying to tell me with that particular verse of scripture, I began to see that, as had always been in our lives, getting rebalanced was all about getting into the right alignment with Jesus!  If I was to take the Seesaw as a literal example, then I would understand that there would have had to be a regular shifting or readjusting of our positions throughout our 48 years together.  In the natural realm alone, I weighed a lot more than Piper… at times up to twice as much!

Now… Now!  I know what you’re probably thinking… but its not because I got fat (Although I’d have a hard time arguing with you right now…)!  Piper hardly ever weighed more than 105 with most days hovering right around 100… more likely under than over, and I’ve always been in the mid-190’s.  I had gotten down to around 185 during the first few months of our marriage and I clearly remember my Italian Mama taking me aside during one of the first times they invited us over for dinner since we had tied the knot, and seriously… and not too happily asking me “Isn’t she feeding you enough?  You’re looking very thin!”

But back to my Seesaw point… In order to balance the beam, we would constantly be shifting around to keep things level!  So, my point here is, that in order to re-BALANCE my life right now without 1/3 of the previous equation present, I just need to get closer to Jesus in the middle of the beam of my life.  Now that’s easier said than done… but in reality… it is a simple solution… and it’s the same solution that ALWAYS worked in our past to keep BALANCE in our lives!

When I sat down at my desk in my front room study this morning to start my Bible study, I returned in thought to the idea of BALANCE and almost immediately felt the Lord saying to me: “Jim, I want you to STOP and SMELL the Roses today!”  That pushed a laugh up from within me and I decided that I would take His word and look for roses along my path! 

As we stepped out for our morning walk after feeding the dog and a quick shower for me, I was determined to find a rose somewhere between our home, the golf course and the park.  And while I never saw an actual rose bush, I did have a couple of short but uplifting conversations with two of the golfers passing by in their golf carts, saw the most beautiful flowers in the midst of the grass in the park and enjoyed the ripples on the pond as a slight breeze blew down from the north.  It’s surprising how fragrant, BALANCED and beautiful the various sights and sounds of the locale of your life can be… WHEN YOUR LOOKING FOR ROSES!

And as my lovely wife would tell me… “Jim, that’s your confession and I believe every word of it!”  So, even though she is not here to physically, spiritually and emotionally BALANCE my life, I’ll take her advice and along with it, the understanding that even if she isn’t here sitting on the other end of our Seesaw, that she still plays a major role in the BALANCE of who I am today!

How about you?  Is your life BALANCED or un-BALANCED?  My suggestion is to find what it takes to maintain your balance… and along the way… STOP and SMELL the Roses that you discover along your paths in your daily lives!